South Africa: Speech - Health Budget Vote 2014/15

Speech delivered by South African Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in parliament on 23 July in which he announces the country will move to early HIV treatment and lifelong antiretrovirals for pregnant, HIV-positive women.

During his speech, Motsoaledi summarised progress on several major health issues in the country including maternal and mental health as well as HIV.

Motsoaledi acknowledged that there were "leakages" in the HIV treatment programme. Most significantly, health facilities had lost touch with almost four out of 10 people on ARVs three years after they started treatment.

Meanwhile, only half of those on ARVs get their viral loads tested to see whether the ARVs are working to suppress the virus. Only 65 percent of men and children who need ARVs are receiving them, in comparison to 80 percent of women.

AllAfrica publishes around 2,000 reports a day from more than 130 news organizations and over 200 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Related

Follow AllAfrica

AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 2000 news and information items daily from over 130 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Monrovia, Nairobi and Washington DC.